by Rev Douglas Brauner

Freed of Our Need to Be God

You can listen to today’s devotion by clicking on this SoundCloud link.

But now, O LORD, you are our Father; we are the clay, and you are our potter; we are all the work of your hand.
Isaiah 64:8 English Standard Version

I know that there are a lot of people who don’t understand why others collect gnomes. I’m okay with that, but we have a number of gnomes at our home, not to mention a number of ducks. Stating the obvious, someone had to make these gnomes.

Given the details in some of these gnomes, I have to believe someone put energy into designing them to reflect a certain personality. Then after each one is planned, it is specially crafted to reflect the designer’s dream.

Isaiah reminds us that our heavenly Father has crafted each one of us. As God formed Adam out of the dust of the ground, so we too have been formed by God. He is the potter, the designer, the craftsman.

However, Isaiah also reminds us that we are the clay and not the potter. Sin has turned everything upside down giving us the illusion that we are the potter, the designer, the craftsman. We believe that we can do whatever we want without limitations. We are autonomous.

Granted, God has given us the ability to reflect him by taking what he has made and crafting vessels of all sorts out of his creation. That doesn’t make us God. It makes us an imperfect reflect of the perfect Creator.

There is something liberating when we let go of our need to be God, confessing to God our sin and letting him mold and shape our lives. No longer is perfection demanded of us. No longer does the weight of making everything look good sit on our shoulders.

We celebrate his forgiveness,

We celebrate his compassion.

Oh, and by the way, you are amazing creation of the Father. So amazing, the God sent his Son to die for you.

Copyright Holy Cross Lutheran Church, Colorado Springs, Colorado